One Last Time
by AmericanFirestorm
Summary: War has torn America apart. Many have died in the awful war against the Federation. But a select few stand. The outcasts, the ones no one thought could do anything great, are now our only hope. They're mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and everything in between. Determined to win back their home, they'll do whatever it takes. They're Americans. They're soldiers. They're rebels.
1. Prologue

**So here's my first chapter for the newly re-written story called "One Last Time." I hope you guys like it. **

**I don't own COD or its franchise. Just the Rebels. Enjoy! And please review. **

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Prologue

"Daddy! Over here!"

The man quickly turned to throw the Frisbee to his young daughter. She caught it and laughed as she threw it to her older brother. He watched them toss to each other for a few minutes until a voice brought him out of his trance.

"Daniel!"

Daniel quickly turned around after hearing his wife's voice. She smiled and motioned him over. He smiled back and walked over to her, sitting down on the picnic blanket next to her. Then he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"So, how's the weather?" He greets. His wife smiled and chuckled.

"Pretty great if you ask me." She replies, rubbing her belly. "I think she agrees." She comments. Daniel smiled. His wife was carrying their third child, who was going to be named Arielle Marie Warren.

"Well we should be meeting little Arielle in about a week." He reminds her looking her in the eyes. "Are you nervous?" He asks.

She shook her head.

"Third times a charm." She chuckles. "I'm nervous but excited too."

Daniel nodded and kissed her passionately. His wife, Lindsey, was perfect in every way. They had met in high school and later married in their early 20s, so they were high school sweethearts. Their other two children, Aaron and Mackenzie, were ecstatic about having a little sister. They couldn't believe they were going to be a big brother and a big sister.

"Aaron and Mack are pretty excited too. I'm so glad they're taking this well. Most siblings would be jealous of their baby siblings." Lindsey admits. Daniel shrugged. Not his kids.

"They'll be a great big brother and sister."

"Yeah, I know."

Just then, his two young kids came running over.

"Dad! We just saw an awesome helicopter! Come see!" Young Aaron exclaims. His father laughed and followed him while his Mackenzie and her mother stay behind.

**-Later that night-**

It was around midnight when the attack began.

Daniel was woken up to the sound of his wife screaming. When he sat up, he saw two strange men taking her away outside. Daniel ran downstairs to try and catch up with them.

"GET OFF OF HER!" He screamed at them. They saw him as they loaded her into the truck. She was crying and calling out to her husband.

He ran as fast as he could to her, but one of the guards quickly shot him in the arm. He screamed and fell to the ground.

"Save them, Daniel! Save them! Don't worry about us! We'll be okay!" Lindsey screamed. Save them? Who was she talking about?

"Lind…sey…" He whispered, holding his hand out as if he could grab her hand. She took notice of this and smiled weakly.

"I love you, Daniel. We both do." She says.

With that, Lindsey gave her husband one last glance before being shoved into a van.

"Lindsey….Arielle…I love…you." He says to himself before passing out as the van who held his wife and unborn daughter drove away.

**-Daniel's POV-**

When I came to again, I sat up to find the whole town on fire. I heard people screaming and crying. Saying that the enemies responsible were from South America and known as the Federation. They had hacked and turned ODIN against us.

"Shit…" I mumbled to myself.

I slowly stood up and started to walk. Actually, limp was more like it. My leg hurt like hell.

I looked around for Lindsey, but quickly remembered what happened. She was taken away by those bastards.

I prayed to God that he would keep her safe and that Arielle would be safe too. While I prayed, someone yelled causing me to jump.

"BOMB!"

I look up to the sky and see ODIN is attacking again. I quickly limp to cover and I make just as the next bomb hits the ground. I hear more screams and noise. As I look over, I realize the destruction it has caused.

The streets were uneven, some raised ten feet out of the ground from impact. Fire was taking over houses and killing innocent people who were inside. People laid dead in the streets. It was an awful sight. A sight I wished would leave my mind.

"Dad!"

I quickly turned around and saw Aaron running towards me, carrying Mackenzie in his arms. He was crying and I didn't know why, until I realized that Mackenzie was bleeding on her head. Suddenly, she woke up and her eyes widened when she saw me.

"Aaron! Mack!" I yell and limp over to them. I pull them into a tight embrace after I reach them. They were safe. And alive.

"Daddy, what's going on?" Mack asked in her squeaky 6-year-old voice. Aaron looked at me and his muddy brown eyes asked the same question. I sigh.

"We're under attack. We need to get out of here." I replied as another bomb hit. We ducked for cover and then I knew it was time to go.

"Let's go." I say quickly, grabbing Aaron's hand. He had a good grip on Mack, so I didn't have to worry about her.

"Wait! Where's mom?!" He asked, looking around quickly.

Oh God…how could I tell them?

"I'll tell you everything when we're safe. Now come on. Let's go."

That was 10 years ago.

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**Sorry this was short. I had a bad case of writer's block while writing this :/**

**Anyway, please review! I would love to hear your guys' thoughts on this chapter. Don't worry, there will be more action in the later chapters ;)**

**Thanks for reading and please review! **

**~Firestorm**


	2. Hellbent

** Hey guys! Long time no see, huh? Sorry for the long hiatus. School started in August, so I haven't had the time to update like I should.**

**Anyway, enjoy this update! All Rayhaven Rebels belong to me. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 2: Hellbent**

Daniel groaned as he watched the radar. The 35-year-old was frustrated and annoyed that the rebels were losing. They all had already lost so much. Now they were losing more rebels and he hated it.

"We need to do another patrol. Go find Melissa and Carmen. Tell-"

"Dad?"

Daniel turned around to find his now 16-year old daughter standing before him. He sighed, knowing what she was about to ask. He crossed his arms and shook his head in disagreement.

"Absolutely not."

"Why?! I've been training. I can fight-"

"I don't care. It's too dangerous."

"You let Aaron go with you every time! Why can't I go?"

"He's 18, which is the legal age that you can be in the army. He-"

"That's the old rules."

Her father sighed and growled in frustration. She just didn't get it.

"Look Mack. You're too young to be going out in a fight. You barely know how to use a gun and I can't risk sacrificing any more kids. It's just not safe out there. Once you're closer to 18-"

"I turn 17 in a month. That's one year away of legal age to be in the army. Why can't I train now?"

"Because-"

"Because you're a girl. Everyone knows a girl can't fight."

Daniel looked ahead while his daughter turned around. It was Noah Ryder. He was one of the top incoming recruits for next year and intimidated the other recruits who would be in his class.

"What makes you think that?" Mackenzie asks, crossing her arms with a scowl on her face. Noah just shrugged.

"Have you seen how childish the girls here act around guns? Hell, they're scared of their own shadows. They'll never be brave enough to go out there and fight for our cause. They would be dead from a gunshot in seconds of entering the battlefield." Noah taunts, a sly smirk spreading across his face.

That was it.

Mackenzie ran and tackled Noah, who was surprised because he hadn't expected that from her. Or from any girl for that matter.

"What the hell?! Get off of me!" Noah yelled, struggling to get the small yet surprisingly strong girl off of him so he'd get out of his pinned down position.

"Take that back and I will." Mackenzie requests, smirking a bit. Noah just growled.

"Take back what?!"

"What you just said about girls, you idiot!"

Suddenly, Mackenzie felt two strong hands forcibly pry her off of Noah. She kicked and struggled as Noah stood up and brushed himself off.

"Freak…" He muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Mackenzie asked sweetly, playing innocent now. Noah just turned and looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

"You're weird. Hard to believe your Commander Warren's daughter. You're supposed to be a fighter. Not a flower." He commented, then sighed and walked out.

After he left and the door was shut and locked to prevent further interruptions, Daniel turned to his daughter, his arms crossed across his chest.

This wasn't good.

"What is wrong with you? I can't have you attacking my top incoming recruits like that. Do you realize what it'll do to my reputation as a commander?" Daniel asked, awaiting his daughter's answer.

Mackenzie stood there, dumbfounded.

"Well?" He says a bit impatiently.

Mackenzie snapped out of it and sighed heavily.

"Didn't you hear what he said? He insulted every girl on this base! We can fight just as well as any man or boy can." She complained, giving her father a death glare.

"That doesn't matter. Plus-"

"It doesn't matter?! So you don't care if he insults me-"

"Damn it, just shutup and listen to me Mackenzie!"

Mackenzie immediately quit talking, heartbroken that he father would actually yell at her. She gulped and stared, waiting for her dad to continue.

Realizing he'd just yelled at his daughter, he quickly tried to take it back.

"Mackenzie, I…"

But before he could finish his sentence, she unlocked the door and ran out while crying the whole way to her dorm.

**~ 2 hours later ~**

"Damn it Daniel… what would she think of you now? Yelling at your daughter like that?" Daniel says to no one but himself.

His daughter just wanted to help and he rejected her in a way his wife would be ashamed of.

_Lindsey._

Why was he thinking of her now? It had been years since he had thought of her since her kidnapping. She was pregnant with Arielle and-

Arielle. How old would she be now? Ten perhaps? Mackenzie was six before she was born, and she was sixteen now so…

Yeah. She'd be ten.

"Lindsey… Arielle… if you can somehow here me, hang in there. We're coming to rescue you soon once we find out where those bast- I mean monsters are hiding you. They're hellbent, and once the Rayhaven Rebels reach them, all hell is breaking loose. That's a promise." Daniel swore, looking up at the star-filled night sky.

**~ Somewhere else ~**

_"__Arielle, no matter what they do, you have to be strong. We'll get through this. I promise."_

The young girl woke up, sweat dripping down her face. Her mother was speaking to her again, trying to convince her everything was going to be okay.

But it wasn't. They had been trapped here against their will. The soldiers said they were just protecting them from the real threat, but she knew better. She would find their way out and find a new home. Her mom said she had a dad… and she was determined to find them.

"Chica? Are you alright?" A Federation soldier asked as he walked past her cell.

"Si amigo." She replied, smirking a bit.

"Did you sleep-"

Suddenly, the soldier's walkie talkie started going bizerk. He quickly grabbed it and spoke to another man in Spanish over it.

"Adios chica. Duty calls." He says then runs off.

Arielle sighs and leans back. How was she ever-

_Clank!_

Arielle sat up and looked outside her cell. When she did, her smile spread from ear-to-ear.

Because laying out there, right in arm's reach by her cell…

Was the keys to unlock all the cell doors.

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**Please review! Thanks! Hopefully the next update will be soon ;)**


	3. His Return

_**Hello from the other side...**_

**Okay, enough of that. Hey! I'm back after what feels like a year long hiatus. I apologize for leaving for a while, but I had personal things going on that prevented me from being able to work on updates for my stories. **

**I went and saw ****_13 Hours_**** tonight, which is the movie about what happened in Benghazi a few years ago in 2012. After I watched it, I remembered my stories here and I decided to become active again.**

**I have officially taken this story off of hiatus, and put my Assassin's Creed story on hiatus so I can focus on this one. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and as always, I don't own COD Ghosts or its characters. Just my characters and this storyline. Enjoy!**

**\- Firestorm**

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Chapter 3: His Return

The day couldn't have started off any worse.

It was 11:00, which was an hour after Mack was supposed to wake up. Now she had missed training, and her instructors would be very pissed with her when she saw them again. Damn alarm clock...and it's snooze button.

"Mackenzie? Are you awake yet?"

After hearing the familiar voice, Mack turned her attention to the door. It was her father's voice, and he was checking in on her like used to do every morning when she was younger.

"Yes dad."

On the other side of the door, her father sighed in relief. He had begun to worry after she didn't show up for her medical and combat training earlier that morning. When someone suggested that he check her room, he immediately went and prayed that she was okay...and alone.

"There better not be a boy in there with you, or you will be in serious trouble young lady."

Mack's face quickly reddened as her father opened her door with his master key.

"DAD!" She yelled, and covered herself. She normally slept in a tank top and running shorts, so it revealed quite a bit of her skin.

Seeing that his daughter wasn't dressed yet, he quickly turned away and blushed.

"Damn it Mack...you should've warned me."

"You shouldn't abuse your master key privilege."

With that comment, he chuckled. She was right, but he had to make sure his little girl was okay. After what happened with Lindsey and their unborn daughter Arielle, he wasn't willing to take anymore chances with his daughter, or his only son for that matter.

"Your brother heard about your confrontation with Noah yesterday. He said to tell you he was proud of you."

Mackenzie, who was checking her text messages, immediately turned her attention to her father. She hadn't heard from Aaron in months since he left on a classified mission.

"Wait...you talked to Aaron?"

"Yes. After you stormed off yesterday, I didn't get the chance to tell you that he's coming home." Her father began, smiling. "The mission was successful."

Hearing the news, Mack smiled widely. She had missed her older sibling greatly, and was deeply worried for his safety. Now to hear that he was okay and coming home safely was the greatest news she has heard in weeks.

"That's great news! When will he be back?"

"It depends. We're expecting sometime around -"

"Now?"

When he heard another voice, Daniel's soldier instincts kicked in. He quickly pulled out his gun and aimed it at the stranger.

"Whoa dad! Calm down...it's just me."

Once Daniel realized who the stranger was, he lowered his gun and smiled.

"Aaron."

"Dad."

Meanwhile, Mackenzie laughed and rubbed the back of her neck. Her brother had always been good at sneaking up on people. Her father chuckled and stood up, then hugged his only son for the first time in months.

"Good to have you back, son."

"It's good to be back."

Feeling neglected, Mackenzie coughed to try and get her family's attention. Aaron turned and smiled at his little sister.

"Hey Mack. I heard about your little tantrum yesterday, and dad's stubbornness. I think you had every right to kick Noah's ass." He encouraged.

She chuckled and nodded.

"Made him cry like a little child too."

"Really? Now that's impressive."

"I know. I even -"

Daniel sighed and rubbed his head.

"I'd hate to break up the reunion so soon, but somebody needs to get to training before she's put on combat probation." He said, and glared at Mack. She just sighed.

"Okay, I get it. But I need you two to leave before I get dressed, or I'll have to show Aaron how badly I kicked Noah's ass yesterday."

Aaron glanced back at his father, and raised his eyebrows. He just shook his head.

"Message received. You have five minutes to be at the weapons and combat room. Don't be late."

Mackenzie nodded.

"All right. See you guys there."

After that, both men left, but not before Aaron gave her a hug. Once they were gone, Mack smiled.

If only mom and Arielle were here...then it would be perfect. They would be a family.

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**That's it for now! I hope it was okay. Please leave your reviews if you can. Thanks! **

**\- Firestorm**


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